By Derrick Smith

Throughout our lives, there are people that have an influence on us and help shape us into the person we become. The impact that they make on us could be large or small, but either way, the impression on us can last a lifetime. Avery McMurphy says that out of all the people that have helped her along the way, there are a couple of people that had a larger influence. “I’ve encountered so many people that have left major impacts on my life probably without them knowing to be honest,” she said. “But there are two people that stick out from the rest. Coach Hooper was my middle school softball coach and within the two years of playing for him I learned what it truly meant to have mental toughness which is also my strongest belief as to what he was trying to teach me as a player. My dad would have to be my biggest role model. He is one of the hardest workers I know with the best work ethic of no one else. He does whatever it takes to help make me successful in whatever it is I decide to do. While he’s my hardest critic he’s also my biggest supporter.”

Avery is a freshman at Alva High School. She plays second base for the varsity softball team. She loves to play the game of softball, but McMurphy also has a second love. “I enjoy being an active member of the Future Farmers of America program,” she said. “Being involved in agriculture is pretty much all I know. My family has always been big on ranching and farming and it’s only best that I fit the part as well.”

Just being a freshman, McMurphy says that it is tough to come up with a highlight moment of her career so far. But she says that there are two team moments that she says she loves. “One would be when we beat Perry, who we had previously lost to and who also were number one in our district,” she said. “Another highlight would be when we qualified for regionals in a best two out of three against Marietta when we won the first two games.”